West Africa Drug Policy Network Rallies Senate to Concur

The capital building.

-- As Drugs Law’s Sponsor Wants LDEA Budget to increased to US$300K

A Ghanaian-based regional advocacy group against drugs abuse, illegal substances, and chemicals, the West Africa Drug Policy Network (WADPN) has called on the Liberian Senate of the 54th Legislature to concur with the House of Representatives in passing the amended drugs law.

The Executive Director of WADPN, Mr. Prince Bull-Luseni, in an interview with reporters on Friday at the Capitol Building, said he is in Monrovia to add his voice to the voices of Grand Bassa County District #5 Representative Thomas Goshua and the Liberia Drugs Enforcement Agency (LDEA) to lobby for a speedy concurrence of the amended drugs for Liberia to join other West African countries to be detached from the hub of trafficking of illegal drugs, narcotics substances, and chemicals.

“My mission here is to support the office of the Hon. Goshua (the sponsor of the amended drugs law)  and the LDEA to engage the Senators to speedily pass the law probably possible before they go on Christmas break this year  to have enough time to engage the President subsequently for his signature to enact it into law."

Mr. Luseni added: “West Africa is geographically positioned between Europe and Asia, so it is used as a trafficking zone, as a hub, we already have a law in Ghana and we are trying to work in West Africa to have a harmonized drugs law, so if the law is passed, Liberia itself will be exempt from the route and from hard core criminals and organized crimes."

The WADPN was part of the technical team which drafted the new amended version of the drugs law, entitled: “AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 14 OF THE NEW PENAL LAW OF LIBERIA UNDER THE TITLE “OFFENSE INVOLVING DANGER TO THE PERSON “BY ADDING THERETO SUB-CHAPTER (E) UNDER THE TITLE “CONTROLLED DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ACT OF 2014."

The amended drugs law is sponsored by Hon. Goshua.  The bill, when concurred by the  Senate will provide harsher penalties for drug possession or use, supply, trafficking, production to at least 20 years in jail and make drug possession and its use non-bailable.

Also in an interview with reporters on Friday, Rep. Goshua explained that the reason for introducing the bill is because it has been observed that drugs and substance abuse have contributed negatively to the growth of the younger generation, adding that the proliferation of illicit drugs in Liberia has led several youths to become uncontrollable and are being referred to as “Zogos”.

The Grand Bassa lawmaker indicated that the current drug law of 2014 has several loopholes in the fight against drugs and substances in Liberia. And this is the defect or statutory infirmity that the amendment seeks to address.

Rep. Goshua said: “The law, when it is concurred with by the Senate and signed by the President, it will be empowering the LDEA to be more vigorous, while we, at the Legislature are also trying now to give the LDEA more budgetary support because currently, of the total workforce of the LDEA, 60 percent is voluntary."

Meanwhile, besides lobbying for the concurrence of the drugs law, Rep. Goshua also wrote Speaker Bhofal Chambers for the increment of the LDEA budget to UD$300,000.

He said the increment of the LDEA budget is to employ manpower and procure logistics in the fight against drug abuse. Simply, drug abuse or substance abuse refers to the use of certain chemicals for the purpose of creating pleasurable effects on the brain. There are over 190 million drug users around the world and the problem has been increasing at alarming rates, especially among young adults under the age of 30.